God's Work in Us

 The following is from Watchman Nee's devotional book The Lord My Portion:

"For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2.13)

"A lady once died, and on the tombstone were inscribed her own words: 'She did what she could not do!'

"Daily we live through impassable days. For us to obtain perfect salvation and live a clean life, it has to be the work of God. Many try to imitate Christ, which they will never succeed in doing. Yet because God does it, I can do it.

"Hold fast to the fact that He works in me. It is not I who work; I only work because God is first working. If I ever attempt to work out the lofty demands of the Bible by myself, I am destined for failure. All I must do is to ask God to work in me till I am willing."